If you needed proof that the world could use a little escapism, a simple look on #BookTok would suffice. Between the fantasy-based A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Song of Achilles, which has its roots in Greek mythology, the internet’s most beloved book picks are practically a cry for diversion. Enter: Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing series—a charming tale about a young woman who must overcome great peril and hellacious odds to become a kickass dragon rider. (Yes, you read that right.)
In case you’ve been living under a rock, the first book in this romantasy (a.k.a. romance meets fantasy) collection, Fourth Wing, took off like a rocket in 2023, climbing straight to the top of The New York Times Best Sellers list and remaining there for three months. As of April 2024, it had sold more than 2.3 million copies—a number bound to get even higher when the latest release in the series drops in 2025. And don’t even get us started on social media: The hashtag #fourthwing has more than 1 billion (that’s billion, with a "B") views on TikTok alone.
Feeling a bit of book FOMO? We don’t blame you. Below, we've rounded up everything you need to know about the series, from the number of books the author has planned to the release date of the latest Fourth Wing drop. (Hint: It’s sooner than you think.)
What is the 'Fourth Wing' book series about?
The Fourth Wing series, also known as the Empyrean series, is about a 20-year-old woman named Violet Sorrengail who is thrown into the competitive—and dangerous—world of dragon-riding at the punishing military academy Basgiath War College.
Plagued by physical ailments from a childhood illness, assassination attempts at the hands of her competitors, and a growing attraction to rival rider Xaden Riorson, Violet’s quest is a dangerous one, full of secrets, betrayal, and violence.
However, if she can stay alive, she might unlock the power of the winged mythical beasts she’s set out to ride and share in their magic. (How else to channel, oh, say, lightning manipulation?)
How many books does Rebecca Yarros have planned for the 'Fourth Wing' series?
According to Yarros, the series was originally plotted for three books, but she needed five to tell the full story arc. “Probably about 30,000 words in, I called my editor and I said, 'I think this is a five-book series,'” she told Variety in 2023. “And that’s how we went from three to five.”
You'll have to wait a while to read the full series: Books four and five have yet to be written.
How to read the 'Fourth Wing' series in order:
To read the Fourth Wing series chronologically, you'll want to start with Fourth Wing, then move on to Iron Flame, the second book in the series. Fourth Wing first hit shelves in April 2023, with Iron Flame (which is divided into two parts) coming just several months later in November 2023.
The eagerly anticipated Onyx Storm is the third book in the series. The third installment is available for pre-order now.
As for books four and five, their names and release dates are still unknown.
When will 'Onyx Storm,' the third book in the 'Fourth Wing' series be released?
Onyx Storm will be released on January 21, 2025. Yarros announced the book's title and publication date in a March 2024 appearance on Good Morning America.
She also cited the book as her favorite in the series while giving fans a look at the back cover on Instagram. With the phrase "I will not die today" crossed out in favor of the words "I will save him," the cover suggests a shift in priorities for our heroine Violet.
"I can’t wait for you to get your hands on it!" Yarros told fans in the caption of a post on Instagram.
The release comes more than a year after the release of 2023’s Iron Flame, which left fans with a cliffhanger ending that had bookworms practically salivating for more.
What is the third 'Fourth Wing' book, 'Onyx Storm,' about?
So far, Yarros has remained relatively tight-lipped on her next book’s plotline, originally telling Good Morning America only that Onyx Storm was about “politics, new adventures, old enemies, and, of course, dragons.”
A few other details have been released since the writer's morning show appearance. From her website, we can deduce that there will be plenty of guts and gore: There’s a trigger warning for “war, battle, hand-to-hand combat, perilous situations, blood, intense violence, brutal injuries, death, poisoning, graphic language, and sexual activities.”
In September, the author finally released the official summary on her Instagram. According to the blurb, the third installment in the series is set to pick up 18 months into Violet’s war college training. “Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre,” the official logline reads. “The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.”
It ends by teasing, “A storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath." Ominous!
As for the fans, they've been hard at work drumming up theories for this latest series installment, analyzing everything from the significance of the riders’ dragon colors (is Aaric’s blue dragon a clue he might be an important character?) to guesses about Violet’s second signet. (That's a unique magical ability, for the Fourth Wing uninitiated.) We'll have to wait and see!
What to know about the 'Fourth Wing' TV series:
Great news: In due time, once you finish pouring through these page-turners, you'll be able to binge-watch it, too, because Fourth Wing is the latest hit book series to get the on-screen adaptation treatment. Prime Video and actor Michael B. Jordan’s production company, Outlier Society, have teamed up to develop a show based on the popular books. Yarros is among the executive producers and Emmy-winner Moira Walley-Beckett, best known for writing/producing Breaking Bad and creating the series Flesh and Bone and Anne With an "E," will serve as showrunner.
The news came from Yarros herself, with the author sharing her excitement over the news on Instagram in October 2023. “I'm so humbled and thrilled to announce that FOURTH WING has been optioned!!!” she wrote. “I can't wait to see their adaptation of Fourth Wing brought to life! I have all the faith in the world in them!”
It will likely be some time until the series hits our screens: Casting hasn't even been confirmed yet. However, Yarros and the team behind the series have been working hard to find the right names to bring to life her beloved dragon-riders. She's even offered insight into who will be playing Xaden. In a November 2023 interview, she told Variety, “We’re just going to say he’s POC; we’re just going to leave it at that…I want to make sure that role is open to as much diversity as possible."
She added, "I was never going to give the readers my vision because I know that once you give the readers your vision, that’s what they’re gonna stick to. And I wanted to make sure we left it open to as much diversity as possible.”
